When the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun form a rare alignment in the sky, stargazers will be treated to a spectacular celestial event. The solar eclipse will be a hybrid, as it will neither be partial nor total.
As the Sun, Moon, and Earth align in a straight line, and the Moon blocks the sunlight emanating from Earth, a hybrid solar eclipse will occur.
During the hybrid event known as the Ningaloo Eclipse, derived from an Aboriginal word, the path of the Moon’s shadow varies, resulting in a distinct form of eclipse depending on the observer’s location on Earth.
The hybrid solar eclipse is a mix of the two phenomena as the Sun, Moon, and Earth align in a straight line and the Moon blocks the sunlight coming from Earth.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A HYBRID SOLAR ECLIPSE?
A hybrid solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned far from Earth, making it appear smaller in the sky than the sun. When the moon passes in front of the sun during a hybrid solar eclipse, it is just large enough to cover the entire solar disk, forming a perfect annular or ring-like shape around the moon’s black silhouette. This is what makes the eclipse annular.
However, as the moon’s shadow travels across the Earth’s surface, it contracts until it reaches the planet, resulting in a total eclipse. This means that, for observers located in a particular region on Earth’s surface, the sun is completely obscured and the sky is cast into darkness for a brief period, typically lasting only minutes.
WHEN WILL A HYBRID SOLAR ECLIPSE HAPPEN?
The hybrid solar eclipse will occur on April 20, beginning at 10:04 am and reaching its peak at 11:30 am. While the duration of the eclipse will exceed two hours, the duration of totality will be less than one minute.
INDIA: SHALL THE HYBRID SOLAR ECLIPSE BE VISIBLE?
No, India will not be able to see the hybrid solar eclipse.
The path of the solar eclipse will not pass through India; however, it will be visible in portions of South/East Asia, Australia, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and Antarctica. In Exmouth, Western Australia, the totality of the eclipse will be visible.